Collateral Damage
by Emery Watson
Summary: The ducks are stranded on Earth after destroying their only ticket back home. Meanwhile, Dragaunus, short on allies & desperate for a win, reaches out to a shadowy force that should've been left sleeping . . . Rated M because these characters curse & they make me write it as I hear it.
1. Prologue: Battle Scars

_Disclaimer: I don't own this shit. Rated M due to the presence of fuck words, not sexual content, so get out of your bunk & unclutch those pearls, Edna._

Prologue: Battle Scars

The dying woman dreamed as she burned . . .

 _. . . The two girls sped around on the frozen pond, screaming with laughter as they took turns playing Crack the Whip . . . Whirling, spinning, finally one losing her balance & tumbling along, still laughing . . . Both red haired, one small & petite, the other tall & so slender that she seemed stretched to the bone in every direction . . ._

She coughed, a dry, hacking, useless sound. Dying almost felt painless now. The hand & forearm that had been trapped beneath the remains of an Aerowing for the past week no longer hurt. It reeked of rot, but she kept her face pointed away from it, so that didn't bother her so much now. She still sweated or shivered uncontrollably at various intervals, but otherwise she mostly felt like she was drifting along on a slow-moving river . . .

 _. . . Heart pounding, hands shaking, she smoothed down the front of her long black dress. She checked her hair; the bun her mother had somehow managed to coax her unruly curls into was still in place. With numb hands, she removed the violin from its case without dropping it . . . She stood on the stage in front of the judges, lifted the bow to the strings, and began "The Ravens' Lament" . . . Nothing mattered but the clear, sweet sounds of her instrument, not the judges, not her father screaming that this was a waste of time in a rush of beer breath, just the notes as she wrung them out of the strings, as she flew alongside the music . . ._

A sharp pain shot up from her pelvic area, making her gasp & cry out. She was pretty sure something was broken down there, & had been trying to lay still, but she must have shifted around as she dozed. The canteen at her side had fallen over & she grabbed for it, frantically feeling around at its lid. She couldn't remember tightening it back on after her last drink. Relief washed over her as her fingers found the lid secure, then she chuckled at herself. What good did this last bit of water do, when no one was coming for her? . . .

 _. . . "Conner, fuck off!" She felt around in the back corner of the closet, confirming she had gotten all of the socks & underthings out of there & into her duffel._

 _"What, Ivy? You're going from a conservatory into the Puckworld Special Forces? It's ridiculous!" Her cousin sounded amused, but as she turned around & faced him, his blue eyes looked somber. _

_"You were always saying that I should go into something more practical, something that pays better. That there'd be time to 'fiddle' in between. You know I fly the Ice Buster better than anyone, & I could be a great pilot for them. The McMallards have always been a military family, hell, your own sister is joining up too! So why is it ridiculous if I do it?" _

_"Because that's all Mal's ever talked about-" Conner cut off his statement as a groan from downstairs distracted them both. Ivy grabbed her duffel & headed in its direction, resisting the urge to push the auburn haired drake down the stairs in front of her. Her younger sister Claire met them at the bottom._

 _"He's ok. I think he was having a nightmare, but he's resting easy now." Ivy gently tugged the end of Claire's carroty-red braid on her way by. This is way too heavy for an 11 year old. We should send her to Aunt Suze, Ivy thought. She dropped her duffel down by the door, then turned to the living room couch._

 _"Hey Pap." She couldn't quite look at him. He had looked up at the sound of her voice, but the left side of his body was frozen & seemed curled in on itself. She focused on his right fist . . . _

_"I declined the scholarship from the conservatory. I joined up with the Puckworld Special Forces, & I tested into the pilot program. Must've been all those math classes Mom made me take." Finally she looked up into his eyes. The left one was out of focus, but was that a tear in the right? "So I'll be able to send you my pay. Should be enough to get you some treatment. Won't be top of the line, but they said if you go to a base hospital you'll get a discount." She turned to go, but stopped when she heard a croak behind her._

 _"Sssssorrrry." She turned back around._

 _"For what? This is exactly what you wanted. You never, even once, heard me play-" She stopped, the lump in her throat choking her. She whipped back around to the door, grabbed her bag, & left, slamming the door behind her . . ._

. . . Flying. She was flying, over the mountains, over the icy plains of Puckworld. The yoke felt like an extension of her arms, all she could see was the land below her & the sky before her. Her instructor's voice faded into the distance; he was an older drake set to retire this year & was thrilled to have her as a student . . .

"Major, can you hear me?"

. . . They just needed to make the turn towards the city, the Monitor towers were about to attack & they were needed to defend it. Then she could help evacuate the base. The sun chose right then to shine directly in her eyes & she flinched . . .

"Hey, I need you lucid & coherent. Come on." She felt a sharp poke in her left arm, like a sting or a-

-Needle?

"Time to wake up. We need the access codes for Aerowing number 447." She looked over at her instructor. He looked annoyed. "Aerowing 447. Now."

 _Aerowing 447 wasn't even commissioned when he retired . . . What? . . ._ Another sharp poke. This time she tried to swat it away from her with her right hand & immediately let out an agonized shriek as her crushed limb failed to respond.

"Fast-acting antibiotics. The infection might be too advanced, but this'll give her a chance of making it."

"When is that first injection going to bring her around?" Her instructor's face was slowly melting into a different one . . . Light brown feathers instead of gray . . . fighter's patch on the beak . . . his voice was different too . . .

. . . She gasped & sputtered as he dumped a canteen of water on her face. She swung as hard as she could with her left arm & was satisfied when she got a good backfist blow on his ear. She was no longer in the cockpit of her fighter, she was once again underground, pelvis cracked or broken, right forearm crushed under the wreckage of the base. All of the pain came crashing down on her once again, making her want to writhe & shriek. Knowing it would only make the pain worse, she gritted her teeth & tried to fight through it.

"Good, you're back with us. Access code. Aerowing 447," the light brown drake said, rubbing his left ear & wincing. He was kneeling in the small space beside her, & she could hear another drake behind her. She tried to crane her neck around to see him & a bolt of pain immediately shot up her spine.

"Don't move. Not till I can confirm your spine's ok." The other drake's face came into view above hers, this one yellow.

"I can feel & move my feet, & your buddy there can testify that my left arm's working fine." She demonstrated by rotating both ankles a bit, careful not to jar the rest of her lower body. She turned her attention back to the light brown hotshot.

"You want the access code? I'm going to need the passcode first."

"8-0-Tango-Whiskey-Niner-2-5-Echo." She heard some shuffling sounds behind Hotshot & focused on those shadows.

"Sir, we have a problem." Hotshot's eyes went dark & he cursed under his breath as he turned. The medic moved away from her towards the newcomer. Ivy strained to hear what the private was telling them, but couldn't quite make it out. Whatever the medic had given her was working. She felt more alert & the pain had taken on a soft edge. Maybe that was just knowing they were going to get her out of here. If it weren't for her injuries, she would be dancing from joy & impatience. The private finished, & Hotshot said something. The medic shook his head as he responded in a low voice. The private shuffled uncertainly, then left as Hotshot waved him away. He & the medic returned to her side.

"What's your name, soldier?" Hotshot met her eyes.

"Captain Canard Thunderbeak, ma'm."

"Major Ivy McMallard." She held out her left hand & he shook it.

"Access code to Aerowing 447." She raised an eyebrow. "Ma'm."

"First tell me what that bucktoothed private just told you." He let out a frustrated grunt.

"We don't have time-"

"That was an order, not a question!" He glared at her & she did her best to let her eyes glaze over as if from boredom. That had always pissed her pap off even worse than if she tried to beat him in a staring contest. He looked away first.

"The Aerowing we've been sent to retrieve is right above us. When we move it, this crawlspace is going to get buried, the wreckage is too unstable. We have till 1300 to get it out of here & hidden." He sighed & ran a hand through the feathers on top of his head, suddenly looking much younger than he had before. "Our best ground unit was targeting the monitor towers about 60 clicks from here, hoping to distract them from our activity here, but there was at least one that didn't take the bait. So instead of the 3 hours we planned, we have more like 30 minutes. Then there's . . ." He trailed off, looking away from her. The medic spoke up.

"Private Flockhart's one of our engineers. He just advised if we tried to shift the rubble pinning your arm down, we would probably bring the whole thing down & lose 447." He met her eyes, & she hated the pity in them. "What I'm saying is that your arm's already gone. The gangrene's already set in, & the antibiotic I gave you is going to save your life, but not your arm." Ivy closed her eyes, envisioning the violin in her left hand, bow in her right.

"But there's got to be a way."

"Our only other option is leaving you down here & moving 447 out. Once we start to shift it, the rest of this wreckage is coming down & nothing down here will live through it."

"Fuck." Her mind was whirling, trying to find another way. "I'm one of the best pilots the Special Forces have! How can I do that if you cut off my arm?"

"CO will chalk it up to collateral damage. One arm vs a whole planet? Not even a close contest." She closed her eyes. Canard started in again.

"Access code. We need it now!"

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! Let me think!"

"We don't have time, people are dying out there!" She opened her eyes to glare at him. "Hate us if you have to, but for fuck's sake give me that code."

She felt her heart racing & knew that she was shaking. She began to struggle, trying to move away from them, trying to yank her right arm away from the wreckage. Her only reward was pain & she whimpered from it, too exhausted to do anything else. "You can't. Please don't do this."

"We have to. Give me that access code. Corporal Finch will get you-extracted. I'll get 447 ready to fly, & we'll be out of here before that Monitor tower gets here."

"I'll need you down here. There's no way I can amputate without help in holding her down," Corporal Finch said.

"Can't you just put her under?" Canard asked, frowning.

Finch shook his head as he rummaged through his bag. "What I've got here, combined with the stimulant I already administered, would chew up her liver. I would've given her that first if you didn't need the access code. I've got a numbing agent, but it's topical. Only meant for things like burns & such." He took out a tourniquet & began to wind it around her right arm close to the area that was crushed. "I can save the elbow but not much below it." Ivy considered biting his hand when it passed by her head.

"I am right fucking here. Don't you fucking talk about me like I'm a dead body or a piece of meat. The goddamn access code is-" She stopped. The tool Finch was going to use was right next to her, looking like a circular saw. Her mind went blank, & she briefly thrashed around again. Canard saw what she was looking at & quickly put it behind Finch, out of sight.

"Hey, sh-sh-sh. Look at me, not him." Canard's voice had gone softer, gentle. He touched the side her of face, turning her head away from Finch. "Breath deep. Take it in & give it 4 counts. Then let it out in 4 counts." He demonstrated, not stopping until she had obeyed. "That's your Aerowing, I know. So be there now." Ivy felt Finch lifting her right elbow a little bit, sliding something that felt like a piece of tarp underneath it to cover the ground. "No, come back. You're in 447. You've got your crew behind you. You're in the pilot's seat, you're holding the yoke. Time to start the launch sequence, it just needs the code. What do you say?" Canard still held her gaze. Ivy felt some sort of calm wash over her, some of that fabled icy blood all McMallards were supposed to have.

"'Good morning, Shostaquillvich'. Then I punch in 75913.34." His hand left her face to quickly write it down.

"Shostaquillvick?"

"No, Vich. Pretty obscure composer from the early modern period. He died by falling off a cliff on Twin Beaks. They think he did, anyway. Never found the body. Beautiful pieces for strings, though. I got my scholarship at the conservatory by playing through his suites." She closed her eyes tightly & let out a sigh. She felt a cool liquid being poured over her arm, then Finch's hand rubbing something into the skin right below her elbow. She opened her eyes in time to see Finch nod to Canard.

"This is going to be awful. I'm going to kneel on your arm to brace it, you're not going to be able to help moving. Canard's going to pin you down, do what you can to not thrash. Your pelvis & hip are cracked but not broken, so you don't want to do more damage. Canard, take off your belt. Ivy, bite down on it once you hear the saw. The tower is on its way, but it seems to be a routine patrol more than anything. If it's close enough to pick up biological noise, it will perk up to attack speed."

Ivy turned away from Finch as she felt his knee press into her bicep. She took the belt from Canard & placed it in her mouth as Canard got into position, draping himself across her torso & pinning her left arm to her side.

"Ivy, did you feel that?" She opened her eyes & turned her head a little.

"Feel what?"

"Ok, the gel's done what it can to numb this." She heard a high pitched whirring buzzing noise & bit down on the belt as hard as she could.

It wasn't enough. Blood spattered the right side of her head as the saw cut into her forearm. She held onto the belt anyway, screaming through it as her back arched from the white-hot agony. Canard had to fight to hold her down as she thrashed from side to side, almost succeeding in throwing him off despite the great shocks of pain she felt from her pelvis & hip. She felt the vibrating blade begin to bite into bone, & she spat the belt back out.

"STOP PLEASE NO-" Canard managed to force her beak closed with his right hand.

"It's almost over, just hang on, sh, we have to be quiet!" he said, & released her beak. Ivy gritted her teeth together so hard she expected them to crack & screamed from low in her throat, keeping her beak closed by sheer force of will. The pain was all she was, the only thing that had ever been or would be . . .

. . . The antiseptic liquid burned as Finch poured it onto her stump. He wrapped the end in bandages, but left the tourniquet in place, & he strapped the remainder of her right arm in to her chest. She was panting & couldn't seem to get enough air, even though Canard had moved off of her by now. She could feel her heart racing crazily & then slowing down to almost nothing. Shock was her biggest danger now, if Finch had done enough to sterilize things, if the tourniquet & bandage stayed in place to minimize blood loss . . .

"We can't get a stretcher down here, we'll have to carry you out of this hole." She felt Canard raise her shoulders up a bit, taking hold of her as Finch grabbed his bag & slid his arms under her legs. Finch nodded.

"1, 2, 3, & up!" The jolt of pain as they lifted her was finally too much & she blacked out. Her last thought before slipping under was _You had better save Puckworld or I will beat your ass bloody with this stu- -_


	2. Chapter 1: The Widening Gyre

**Now, Earth**

"Has Drake One picked up any Saurian activity, Tanya?" Wildwing asked.

"No, none," Tanya answered. Wildwing exhaled, the tension in his shoulders creeping up to his neck. He already knew the answer to his next question, but asked anyway.

"Any leads on any of his allies?"

Tanya hit a few buttons on Drake One. "Phineas Viper: California State Penitentiary. Dr Swindell: whereabouts unknown, last seen boarding a plane to Alaska. Falcone: Freedonia Maximum Security Facility. Alvin Yasbeck: out on probation, reportedly afraid to sneeze wrong. Baron Von Lichtenstamp: California State Penitentiary."  
"You have the alerts set for Drake One? Teleportation energy, Saurian magic-"

"-Saurian comms, dimensional gateways, & a Google alert for any major news items mentioning aliens, yes to all of the above," Tanya interrupted. "It's in perfect working order & we haven't so much as smelled a scale."

Wildwing ground his teeth & looked away. "How is the sub coming along?"

"Should be ready for a test dive soon. If I can at least get a scan of the remains of the gateway, that will be a starting point."

"All right. Keep working on that. Practice is at 2pm, barring any interruptions." Tanya nodded & headed back to her lab.

Wildwing rested his chin in one hand, glaring at the computer screen, willing it to show something. It had been a month since they sent the Raptor to the bottom of the ocean, resulting in the current stalemate. Duke was investigating the criminal underground, trying to track down any Earth allies Dragaunus may have had that they didn't yet know about. Wildwing checked the time. It was almost noon, but his stomach turned over at the thought of food. He sat there for a second more, then got up, punching the back of his chair as he left the ready room. _He's short on allies, at least that we know about . . . No ship . . . Short range teleportation may still be online . . . No ability to replace Hunter Drones that we know of . . ._ Running through the checklist was torturous, but he couldn't help himself. There wasn't anything else he could think to do. Who knew peace would be more stressful than war?

Nosedive was in deep trouble. A sorcerer loomed above him, its face hidden by a long black cloak. He could hear it chanting in some guttural language, presumably drawing the power it needed to blast both him & Grin apart. He took a deep breath & closed his eyes for a moment. _This is it, this is the end. Unless I get lucky._ He grabbed his d20.

"I roll for stealth! I will use my druid powers to disguise myself & my buddy here as a stalagmite in the cavern!"

Buzz Blitzman checked his notes. "You can't do that, it's already seen you!"

"I distract it by throwing a rock," Thrash countered, rolling. "15." Buzz growled a little bit.

"The sorcerer turns away."

Nosedive blew on the dice, shook it around briefly & rolled. "CRIT! I ROLLED A CRIT!"

"The sorcerer looks around, confused. Was that stalagmite there a minute ago?"

"Bluff check," Grin said, rolling his dice. "18. All is well, it's been here all along."

"It's good! It wanders back to the treasury."

"Whoa, that was a close one," Nosedive said, wiping his brow.

"But now you're stuck there. It still has line of sight on you."

"Not for long, dude," Thrash said. He rubbed his hands together with a d20 in between, then rolled. "I set off blasting powder at the opposite end of the cave. 16. And, & I vanish into the void."

"The sorcerer hears a big bang & it immediately gets its attention. It goes over to investigate."

"All right, Grinster. Let's get him!" Nosedive said, pumping his fist in the air. "Attack from behind! I cast FIREBALL! 17 & that deals-25 damage!"

"It's a hit! The sorcerer is bloodied! But the blast radius from the fireball collapses the roof of the cavern. Roll for an escape!"

"Um, like hold it right there. I cast shield, rolled 15," Mookie chimed in.

"The shield is holding for now, but there's not much time." Nosedive's comm went off.

"Hold up there, it's Wing. Kinda busy here, bro, we have an evil sorcerer to fight!" Nosedive said. Wildwing looked confused.

"Drake One hasn't picked up anything-wait. That stupid game."

"Hey, it's fun! I'm learning new strategies here for fighting the forces of darkness."

"Well, we need you both back here for practice."

"Sure thing! We're almost done with this round anyway & we'll head straight back."

 **2 years before, Puckworld**

Miles Corvus stared out the window of the visitors' room, not really seeing the winter landscape outside. He checked his watch again, bouncing his knee up & down impatiently, making the table shake. Reaching into the bag he had brought with him, he went over the contents again. _Book she wanted to finish reading in here, check, water bottle from the university, check, green sweater, check._ The woman at the front desk had confiscated the pens, the box of chocolates, & the sneakers. "She's on a specially-ordered diet during the detox phase, she can't have shoelaces because of the suicide risk-"

"Suicide? Is it that bad?" he had interrupted. The woman didn't reply, just continued digging through the bag. Finally she gave it back to him.

"She shouldn't even have visitors yet. Who did you say passed away? She didn't list any extended family members beyond you."

"It was our uncle," Miles said, trying for a charming smile. "We spent some summers with him growing up, I thought it would be best to tell her in person." The woman stared at him again & he felt a trickle of sweat drip down the back of his neck.

"Well, Dr Orlov cleared it. I'll let them know you're here & give them the papers." She shuffled them into a folder & stood up, walking away. He let out the breath he had been holding.

Now he waited. Finally a buzzer from the other side of the room sounded & the door slid open. A small, thin, dark haired duck came through & he stood up.

"Helena," he greeted her, trying to smile again but it felt like a grimace. She waved & made her way to the table. Up close, he could see deep shadows under her hazel eyes & her collarbones were prominent. She was wearing a thick sweater & fleecy pajama pants, but still shivered. Helena wouldn't meet his eyes, but did take his hand once they both sat down.

"Hey, little bro," she croaked.

"Hey, little sis," he replied, feeling his eyes start to burn. It was their inside joke: she was older by 18 months but he had been taller than her ever since they could remember. "Why didn't you tell me? I had to find out from your lawyer!"

She brushed at her eyes. "I don't know."

"How long have you been on that junk & off your meds?" he demanded. She squirmed.

"The meds weren't helping. I was still seeing things, hearing things-"

"How long?" he repeated. Helena sighed.

"Maybe a year."

"Are they even feeding you here?"

"Yeah. Just can't keep anything down. They said the nausea should pass once it's out of my system completely." She rubbed her arms, shivering again.

"Lena, you could've killed someone, you know that? Driving with your veins full of that shit-"

"Milo-don't. Just-don't." He fell silent. After a moment she spoke again, this time full of anger, "Anyway, it's not like you care. You're the golden child, full scholarship at the University. Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be schmoozing around the rich kids or studying or-"

"I'm here because you're the only family I've got left." Miles reached out & took her chin, turning her face towards him, "As soon as your lawyer called me I came, I swear on my life I did. They said you were in bad shape & couldn't have visitors during the month long detox. I would've been here sooner. I would have, believe me. It just took a few days to come up with a cover story." She jerked her chin away from him.

"Well, what now?" Helena asked.

"Once your 90 days is up, you've got 300 hours of community service to do-"

"I know that, you fucking idiot. I meant-I don't know what I meant. I don't know how I got here & I don't know the way out." Her voice cracked at the end & she looked away, breathing hard. He squeezed her hand.

"If I claim family hardship I can delay next semester without losing my scholarship. We can figure out your next steps once your time in here is done. Do you want to go back up into the mountains?"

"Maybe. It's hard to think right now. It feels like my skin is about to come off or something," she said, scratching at her arms.

The buzzer sounded again, making them both jump. An orderly came through the door.

"Time's up."

Aside from a sudden clutch at Miles's hand, Helena didn't react. He gently pried her hand away.

"Go on. Your only job now is to get better. Do what they say, listen to the therapists, & for Ducaine's sake eat a fucking cheeseburger," he said, trying to lighten it up.

"I am so sick of being told what to do," Helena growled, barely audible.

"I'll see you in three weeks, unless another 'uncle' passes away."

She jerked her head in response. He watched her depart with the orderly. He made it all the way down to the street before realizing he hadn't given her the bag. A breath caught in his throat, sounding like a sob. Miles rubbed his eyes roughly & hailed a cab.

They were halfway back to the University when a loud boom made them both jump. The cabbie swerved briefly, swearing. Miles stared out the window at the ships filling the sky, his eyes widening until he thought they would come out of his head. The cab swerved again as a chunk fell off a building, & this time the cabbie couldn't regain control. The vehicle spun around, the back finally slamming into a phone booth. The cabbie jumped out & began running away from the explosions. Miles watched in horror as one of the ships swooped in low, converted into a monitor tower, then stomped the cabbie flat. He crouched down in the backseat, & sobbed in relief as the tower moved away from him.

Miles stayed there, frozen in place for several minutes, listening to the explosions that made the ground shake, the screams, the cries for help as the sky lit up red. Finally he made himself sit up & look around. There was an alleyway he thought he could make it to. He carefully opened the door, crouched, then made for the alley at a dead run.

 _Hold on, Lena! I'm coming, just hold on!_

 **Now, Earth**

Dragaunus smashed another crate, eyes glowing, smoke pouring from his nostrils. He raised his arm, aiming his blaster directly at a Hunter Drone, barely restraining the urge to fire. "CURSE THOSE DUCKS! I AM THE LAST OF THE SAURIAN OVERLORDS AND I DO NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT!" He whipped around, smashing the nearest wall with his tail. Chameleon cowered in a corner while Siege watched the limited mayhem wrought by his boss. Dragaunus smashed his fist into another wall.

"Watch it, boss! We won't get the deposit back-" Chameleon choked as Dragaunus grabbed him around the neck.

Dragaunus growled. _I will not be defeated by a band of VERMIN!_ "WRAITH!" The wizard drifted into the room, looking ready to run the other way. "REPORT!"

"I've received word from Dr Orlov. He advised he has made contact with the Abyssal Planes. He believes the asset made the bargain."

"If those portals aren't ready to open soon, I will TEAR you LIMB FROM LIMB!"

"Patience, Lord Dragaunus. All will be ready by the appointed hour. I must conserve my energy, this will leave me drained for a time." Wraith began edging back towards the door. Dragaunus snarled & the wizard exited hastily, nearly running right into the wall beside the door.

Dragaunus began to look for something else he could smash. The little ball of fear that had begun to twist in his stomach when he had seen Wildwing with the Mask over a year ago had grown, & now threatened to take him over completely. _Destroyed my ship! Captured my allies! Defeated ME!_

"NEVER! I WILL NEVER BOW DOWN!"

He stalked out of the room, knowing that if he stayed a moment longer he would smash Chameleon or Siege or the both of them into paste.

 _You will NOT win this war! This planet shall be MINE, & I will make you BEG for death before I end you! You will watch each of your friends die screaming & bloody!_


	3. The Hunt

**Now, Puckworld**

The air was still, the heat oppressive. Ivy wiped the sweat out of her bloodshot eyes, scanning her surroundings. A few ducks were out wandering the streets. Muffled music with a thumping bass line could be heard from the bar a block away. She checked the canteen at her belt, shaking it to guess how much water was left. _Three-quarters, maybe._ Her throat felt dry & she winced as she felt a twinge of pain from her right hip, a ghost of the old injury rearing its head. _Let's see if there was anything to that tip, check the job board, maybe get a little nightcap._

The bartender looked up & smiled when he saw her. "Hey Ivy! Mountain milk today?" he asked as she approached the bar.

"No, no, something lighter than that," she answered, shaking her head. She scanned the room, spotting a couple of familiar faces.

"I've got this new ale ready, kind of a juniper flavor to it."

"If it's cold & wet I don't really care," she said, twisting her long, curly hair into a messy knot at the back of her head, swearing when a couple of strands got caught in the finger joints of her prosthetic.

"No new jobs today. Might be something by the end of the week," he offered as he slid her glass over to her.

"Thanks." Ivy held out her canteen to him. He nodded & took it, refilling it from the sink. A tall drake with broad shoulders slid up beside her. He might've been handsome once, but a scar that started at the side of his mouth & running up to his scalp ruined it, turning his smile into more of a snarl.

"Hey Ice." She could smell the liquor on his breath as he greeted her.

"Hey Paul. Shouldn't you be at the base?" she asked.

"Naw, got a private to cover for me. Speaking of privates . . ." He slid a hand up her left arm, raising his eyebrows, jerking his chin toward a booth in the corner. Her gray eyes flickered in that direction, narrowing when she saw a scruffy looking drake hunched over a pitcher. She carefully removed Paul's hand from her arm with her prosthetic hand.

"I wouldn't want to take advantage of you," she replied, smiling ruefully & giving him a wink.

"Come on! I won't tell my wife, you don't have to tell your girlfriend, or boyfriend, or whatever it is this week," he wheedled. "I'd love to feel those long legs of yours wrapped around me . . ."

"You should head home. I can hear your liver weeping right now."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Come on now. Just for once let that ice melt-" Suddenly he was jerked off balance from his other side, making Ivy spill a little of her drink as he was yanked around to face the other way & his arm left her shoulders.

A chestnut haired drake with pale yellow feathers had his other arm in a wrist lock.

"If a lady tells you no, she means no," the newcomer said. He released Paul's arm, making him stagger for balance.

"You little shit!" Paul swung at him, but he ducked out of the way. Off-balance, Paul tried to regain his footing but the drake stuck his foot out, tripping him & sending him to the floor. Ivy quickly shoved the drake away & offered a hand to Paul, helping him back up.

"He's just a stupid kid, Paul. Let it go," she said, gesturing at the bartender, who began mixing a drink. "Here you go, whiskey & soda. Put it on the hero's tab." She met Paul's eyes, glaring, then let them dart to the booth in the corner. Scruffy had noticed the altercation & was looking restless. _Shit._

"You. Leave. Now," she snapped out at her "rescuer," who looked bewildered.

"He was manhandling you-"

"He's a friend & he's harmless. Lost his wife & four kids in the Invasion. Drinks & screws to forget about them."

"Oh." The drake looked at a loss for words. "Sorry."

Ivy looked back at the corner booth, meeting Scruffy's eyes. His widened in recognition, then he jumped to his feet & made a run for the door.

"SHIT!" Ivy pushed her "rescuer" to one side & began running after the drake. "PAUL! GET AFTER HIM! STOP RIGHT THERE, TRAITOR!"

She burst through the door, Paul & the other drake right behind her. Scruffy was halfway up the street, but Ivy's long legs ate up the distance between them. He dodged around a duck with a small child & Ivy's heart lurched. When they chose to run, sometimes they took hostages as well. Anything to keep ahead of justice. Fortunately Scruffy kept running.

The duck had frozen, cowering against a wall & clutching her child close. A bag dangled from one of her hands. Ivy veered towards her & snatched it out of her hand. "I'LL REPLACE IT THANK YOU-" She slowed down just enough to aim & hurled it at Scruffy's feet with all of her might.

He stumbled as it hit him & broke open. He staggered, trying to regain his balance, then the drake from the bar blew past her & took him down in a running tackle. Ivy skidded to a halt, breathing hard & ignoring the twinges of pain in her right leg as they rolled over, her "rescuer" ending up on top & bending Scruffy's arm behind his back hard enough to make him scream. She leaned down & retrieved the bag, scooping the cans of food back into it. She pulled some notes out of her pocket.

"Thanks, ma'am," she said, handing it back to the duck along with the credits with half a smile. Paul had caught up with them, sounding winded. They turned back to their quarry.

"At least now I don't have to act as 'bait'," she said as they drew even with their helper & the whimpering drake curled up on the sidewalk.

"Never your strong point," Paul agreed.

"You saying I'm not cute enough?" she bantered back.

"Nah, you're sexy as hell. It's your eyes. You always look like you're calculating how long it would take you to cut out someone's liver. Doesn't exactly lend itself to seduction."

"You're just sleeping with all the wrong people then," she shot back. "Thank you for the takedown, but you owed us," she said to the drake.

"How do you figure that?"

"Wouldn't have needed to chase him if you hadn't blown our cover."

"Oh. Sorry . . . Again." He got up once Paul had Scruffy secured. Ivy knelt down to look him in the eye.

"John Billamy. Care to discuss the little . . . activities you had going during the Saurian occupation?"

He began to cry, & Ivy resisted the urge to slap him. Billamy had been high up in the Traitor's ranks. His signature had been on the order to shoot 45 Puckworld Special Forces cadets who had been taken prisoner. Ivy was betting he had more blood on his hands than that, but 45 had been on the documentation she had managed to dig out of the rubble in the city, & from a gray-faced, shaky survivor who had fled the killing grounds.

Curled up on the ground, he looked like nothing more than a pathetic worm, not a gleeful monster that had cackled when the hunter drones opened fire. He sobbed, "I had my orders! I only did what the others did!"

Ivy grabbed his chin in her prosthetic hand with a little more force than was necessary. "You can take your orders & shove them up your ass, along with a grenade. You are a spineless, gutless lackey & you are going to face the families of those cadets, along with a judge. I hope you draw a hanging one."

He flinched. Ivy got up & turned away, feeling the ice settle back into place. _Orders. From every single one of them._ It made her want to kick him until he was black & blue, maybe grab his hair & bash his head against the sidewalk. She looked up at Paul.

"Easy there. I can take him in," he offered. She nodded, & he pulled Billamy up to his feet, hauling him away. The drake that had helped them offered his hand for Ivy to shake. She took it automatically with her left hand.

"Didn't introduce myself yet. I'm Miles Corvus & I was hoping I could talk to you,"

"I remember the name. You emailed about a missing persons case. I ignored it," she replied. She turned away to go back to the bar. He followed.

"Please. You've got to help me. It's my sister-"

"If I helped every lost soul out there trying to find their sister, or their father, or their dog, there would be no one left to hunt down Traitors," she said.

"This one's different! Helena was in a rehab facility when Dragaunus struck-"

"Junkies don't do well in war."

"-it was rubble when I got there-"

"Dig there. You may not find a body after all this time, but case closed."

"-NO IT'S NOT! The center was run by Dr Orlov." She froze, feeling the hunting part of her mind wake up & start to sniff around. "I have your attention now?" She turned to look at Miles.

"You do." Dr Orlov. Dr Death. One of Dragaunus's chief scientists. "You know what happened to his test subjects, right? Bodies stacked up to the ceiling."

"I know the odds, trust me. But you want to hunt Traitors? I can help you. I'm a computer expert, & I can crack anything. I just want answers." She eyed him: slim but muscled, maybe an inch or two shorter than her 5'11''. He looked very young, but very determined.

"What's in it for me?"

"I don't have much money—"

"Ok, conversation's over."

"Wait, I do have something," he said quickly. "I just don't want to talk about it out here in the open. Can you meet me at the warehouse on 12th & Sokol? Bring your friend if it makes you feel safer," he added when her eyebrows shot up. She stared at him for a minute longer, considering. Finally she nodded.

"One hour. We'll be there. Armed."

"Fair enough. See you then. Warehouse 17," he replied, heading back up the street.

–-

Paul sneezed as they entered the warehouse, kicking at the dust on the floor as he grumbled. Miles was standing next to something covered with a large tarp. Ivy kept her left hand close to her Puck blaster.

"Good, you didn't have any trouble finding me." He gestured at the object. "This is what I'm willing to give you for your help."

Ivy stared as Miles pulled back the tarp. "Monitor tower. Good for short range flight, absolute shit in orbit," she commented. She walked over to examine its scratched up red hull.

"I made some modifications. It's yours if you help me track down Orlov & Helena."

"What makes you so sure she's alive? & so help me I will choke you if you say 'I can feel it.'"

"One of the most recent sighting of Dr Orlov mentioned a young, dark-haired duck along with him," he replied.

"Lots of ducks have dark hair. Might not be her."

"But it might be her. It's enough for me. Take a look at the top, here." Ivy squinted in the dim light, then her eyes widened as she saw the slim-tapered object at the top of the ship's hull.

"Is that . . ."

"Dimensional gateway. I came across the plans when I was hacking into the military's intranet. At this point it's purely experimental, but I'm confident it'll work."

"What exactly would I want with a ship that has a gateway generator?"

"You can use it to find Him." Ivy didn't need to ask who Miles meant by that.

"He's dead. Went down with his master tower, along with Aerowing 447 & the strike force," she stated, feeling a pang as she remembered Mallory.

"Sure, that was the official story," Miles agreed. "Much simpler for the military that way. Populace can focus on rebuilding, they have 7 dead heroes to celebrate, no big bad dragon to fear, no need to expend additional resources to track them all down."

"They're dead. Military ID'd the—remains-"

"Pretty convenient they found anything, don't you think?" Ivy tilted her head & gave him another measuring stare.

"You know something else, don't you?" In answer, he pulled out three photographs from his pocket. They were grainy, but showed a Raptor ship opening a gateway, an Aerowing—her Aerowing—chasing it. "How?"

"Security footage they pulled from the master tower. I don't know if they all made it out, but the military is unofficially sure that some of them did. Along with Dragaunus."

Ivy's heart started to pound, the hunting part of her mind not just sniffing but baying for blood now.

"You owe him. I saw your records. You owe him for Conner, & for Claire." Ivy jumped a little at the sound of her name. "Don't you think it's time he paid?"

Ivy closed her eyes, images flashing through her mind. The bottle of pills, empty . . . the bottle of whiskey, overturned . . . the vomit. She shuddered & she felt Paul take her hand & squeeze it. She opened her eyes.

"Do you know where they went?" Miles shook his head.

"Not yet, but I'm sure Dr Orlov will know. He was one of Dragaunus's best assets." She thought for a moment more, then nodded.

"We have a deal," she choked out, her voice nothing but a low growl. "Assuming your story checks out. Don't ever say her name again." Miles held out his hand to shake once more.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

–

Father was angry again. The wind whispered it in Helena's ear, telling her to stay small, stay in a corner, make sure the lab was neat & clean. The lamp on the table murmured, "Go in the closet. He wants the snakes in your head to come out . . . hide there till he forgets."

"That ain't too likely," she whispered back. There was nowhere in here to hide, & she didn't think he would ever forget those dark spirits. "It wasn't my fault we got spotted—that lady recognized him, not me-"

"You should have warned him," the clock on the wall chimed in. She moaned, covering her eyes.

"I want Mama," she whimpered, shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself. Father should have been happy; the outing had proved his experiments worked, didn't it? She had been able to read the surface thoughts of their minds just by making eye contact.

"Why does he always wear that visor, though?" the clock asked. "What does he have to hide from you?"

"I don't know . . . I don't need to know," she whispered.

"What is your name?" the clock insisted.

"Helena Orlov, I'm an only child-"

"No, you're not. You're little sis to your little bro. He's not your father & he can't hear you now, say it!"

She looked up fearfully at the door, listening to make sure he was still Away. "Helena C-cuh-Corvus." She flinched, expecting another electric shock, but remembered that she wasn't hooked up to the needles anymore. She said it again: "Helena Corvus."

"Good. Don't forget it again," the clock answered.

Helena stretched out on her bunk, pulling the thin blanket over her head. She didn't want to go down into the shadows again, but how could she avoid it if Father came in with his needles?

"How long will he be out there?" she asked, but there was no reply. She peeked out from under the blanket. The clock & lamp were just a clock & lamp again. "Somebody, please . . . help."

 _Author's note: Fixed a typo. Thank you for reading if you made it this far :-) if I were to cast the voices for these OC's, they'd be as follows: Ivy - Brooke Smith (Grey's Anatomy, Crossing Jordan); Paul - Jon Bernthal (The Punisher); Miles - Anton Yelchin (Star Trek reboot movies, Odd Thomas); Helena - Ellen Page._


	4. Shadows Rising

**Earth**

"Remind me how I let you talk us into this, Phil," Wildwing grumbled.

"Babe! It's just the 4th of July parade! Anaheim wants to see all of its heroes! Your public eats up patriotic stunts—er, events—like this! Plus you won the Stanley Cup two weeks ago! All you have to do is walk a few blocks, then mingle with your adoring public at Eucalyptus Park," Phil said.

"It's boiling out there, do we really need to wear our jerseys?" Mallory said.

"Branding! How else will they know it's you?" Phil answered. Mallory turned & glared at him. "OK, good point, but anytime they see you in your gear our merchandise sales go through the roof! Don't forget to put those red, white & blues sashes on too. Now where's Duke?" he added after doing a quick head count. "We really need to head out, the parade starts at 1pm sharp!"

"Duke's on an assignment," Wildwing quickly replied.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY STRINGS I HAD TO PULL WITH THE MAYOR?" Phil wailed.

"Uh, zero. The mayor called & personally asked us to parti—particapuh-particip-, you know, be a part of it," Tanya pointed out.

"STILL! Can you get him to come?" Phil begged.

"He's not due to check in until tonight," Wildwing answered. "Just put out a statement that he's injured."

Grumbling, Phil headed towards the Migrator, taking out his cell phone & stabbing at the screen with his fingers. Wildwing turned towards the other ducks.

"Keep your eyes open out there, Team. Just because it's been quiet for a month doesn't mean the Saurians aren't planning something."

"Wing, we sent them to the bottom of the ocean. Have you ever thought that maybe the reason it's been so quiet is because they're really gone?" Nosedive pointed out.

"Wildwing's right, we can't afford to let our guard down," Mallory replied.

"The ocean is at its most calm before the wave comes on shore," Grin added.

"Well, fine, stay paranoid. I'll be stuffing my face with hot dogs & enjoying the fireworks once this parade is over," Nosedive said. He headed off in Phil's wake, the rest of the team following.

The crowd gathered at Canyon High let our a cheer when they saw the Migrator approaching.

"See?" Phil beamed. "They LOVE you! Let's find the organizer!"

Wildwing scanned the area, looking for any signs of trouble, sighing when nothing seemed out of place. A man in a Yankee Doodle outfit came up to them as they disembarked.

"All right, you're just in time. You'll be fifth, right after the Veterans' Float but before the Mayor's car. Walk, smile, wave, if you want to shake hands with the spectators feel free, but keep in line."

"There are so many ways this could go wrong," Wildwing said after the man headed off. "It's going to be loud, & with the crowds it would be easy for the Saurians to be hiding in plain sight." They all jumped as a siren blared out from behind them.

"Relax, babes. They're going to do that all along the parade route," Phil advised.

"Great, another distraction," Wildwing complained, looking around.

"Bro, you gotta lighten up & relax. No one wants to see you looking all tense & angsty," Nosedive said.

"I am not tense," Wildwing replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a Saurian silhouette approaching. He whirled around, seeing a brown shape with a menacing head & sharp-looking teeth. "TEAM! LOOK OUT!" he yelled as he punched it-

-Only for the "Saurian" to go stumbling back several steps & fall down. "Hey man, not cool," it yelled.

"It's one of those inflatable T-Rex costumes, Wing. I think the stovepipe hat might've tipped you off," Nosedive said. He went over & helped the man up, putting his hat back in place.

"Wait, I got punched by Wildwing? SWEET! My friends are going to be so jealous," the T-rex said. He headed back down the parade line.

"Remind me to never take you to Comic-Con," Nosedive cracked.

"All right, the parade's starting, team. Stay alert," Wildwing said, a little sheepishly.

* * *

Duke pulled up to Anaheim University's anthropology building. _That tip was pretty thin. Just a disgruntled student complaining about a professor that had more time for researching the Saurians than his classes._ Still, he had been coming up dry on all his other leads. If he could check this off as nothing he could focus on something else. He entered the building & followed the signs to the faculty offices. He stood to the side of the door, where he could look in unseen. A bored-looking young brunette woman was sitting at a desk. _Hmm._ He took out his cell phone & looked up the phone number to the offices. Retreating down the hall into an alcove, he dialed it.

"Hello, this is Julie."

"Package for Professor Curtis," Duke said, disguising his voice.

"Oh, you can leave it in the mail room."

"Uh, where is it? I'm new to this route," he answered. "Oh! I think I found it! Wait, it says I need a signature?"

The woman sighed. "Professor Curtis is busy, I'll come down to sign."

Duke heard the door open & the woman's footsteps retreating down the hall. He ducked out of the alcove & caught the door right before it closed. He went over to the woman's desk, bending over the computer. _Damn. She locked her screen._ Fortunately, she had some sticky notes taped to her monitor, reminders of meetings & various errands. _Ah-ha! 2:30 appointment for Prof Curtis! Grad student, Duke._ He slipped back out the door & quickly made his way to the alcove, just in time to be out of sight when the woman returned, looking frazzled. He entered the offices for the second time as she sat back down at her desk.

"You're Professor Curtis's secretary, right?" Duke tried a charming smile on the young woman.

"I'm his assistant, not a secretary," she replied, unsmiling.

"Well, I have a 2:30 with him. Can you tell him I'm here?"

Julie looked puzzled. "You're the student looking to transfer here from Duke University?"

"Ah, details must've been penciled in wrong. Tell him I'm here?" Duke hoped his bluff would work. She stared at him for a moment longer, then dialed an extension on her phone.

"Your 2:30 is here." She listened for a moment, then hung up the line. "He'll see you now."

"Thanks, you're a doll," Duke said, making her frown even deeper.

Professor Curtis appeared at his office door, slightly overweight, average height. He gaped at the sight of Duke.

"Ohh, one of our local heroes! Come on in!" he said. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Duke followed him into his office & took a seat in front of the man's desk.

"Duke l'Orange, correct? You're—not who I was expecting," Professor Curtis said, whisking some papers into a folder. Duke spotted a drawing of a black gemstone on one before it disappeared from sight.

"We're big believers in higher education. I heard you were writing up a book on the failed Saurian invasion & thought you could use some of my expertise," Duke said.

"That, uh, book, I—that is . . ." Duke watched a drop of sweat form on the man's forehead as he stammered.

"No need to be nervous, this is a friendly conversation," Duke said in a soothing tone. "What made you interested in it? You're in anthropology, not military history."

Professor Curtis pulled at his collar, his eyes switching between meeting Duke's & the door. "It's living history to me. I thought I could help-"

"It wasn't just your book. What happened to your co-author?" Duke asked. Professor Curtis jumped.

"I haven't seen Professor Poulin for a month," he answered, a little too quickly. "He, uh, most unfortunate . . . He grew paranoid, he started jumping at shadows . . . He'd ramble for hours about snakes in his head."

"When did that start?" Professor Curtis stayed silent, his face twitching. "You might be able to help him, if you can tell me what he might have uncovered."

Professor Curtis wrung his hands, his eyes now darting around the office as if trying to find a way out. "I—don't know anything. I don't WANT to know anything. Poulin saw them & he went mad." Duke noticed the light in the office going dim, even though it was early afternoon.

"We can protect you, just tell me what you know," Duke urged. Professor Curtis began twisting the class ring he wore around his finger, trembling. Finally he sighed, & pushed the folder on his desk over to Duke.

"This is what Poulin was working on before—before. His field of study was religion, primarily. We—found one of the Saurians'—safe houses, I guess? Dens? For lack of a better term. The location is noted in the file. We found a book there, it was falling apart."

"Do you still have it?" Duke asked.

"Not the original," Professor Curtis replied. "After his—breakdown, Poulin burned it. I have copies of the pages, but they didn't turn out very well. See for yourself."

Duke opened the folder & blinked at the badly smudged pages.

"The printer was in perfect working order. When I saw those, I sent some other documents through it, just to check. They turned out perfectly."

"Maybe someone or something interfered with it?" Duke asked, doubtfully. The man was obviously unstable & he didn't want to feed into any paranoid delusions, but there was something strange about the bits of text that had turned out. _Raven's eyes . . . Serpents from the Abyss . . ._

"I don't know. I don't want to know. Poulin peeked behind the veil, the shadows . . ." Professor Curtis trailed off. "Don't speak of them. It makes them stronger. They can get inside your head, see what you're thinking . . ." Duke shifted uneasily in his chair.

"Hey, take it easy, there," he said. Professor Curtis's breathing had become shallow & he was getting paler by the minute. Suddenly he gasped, clutching his chest with his left arm. He motioned toward his drawers with his right hand.

"My heart—pills-help me!"

Duke jumped out of his chair, dropping the folder on the floor & scattering the papers. He opened the drawer & found an orange bottle labeled Nitroglycerin. He opened it & shook out a couple of the pills, handing them to Professor Curtis. The man put one in his mouth & gestured for water. Duke held the glass to his lips.

"I'll call an ambulance!"

"no . . . no . . . they can't help me," Professor Curtis said weakly. He sat back in his chair & closed his eyes. "Take the papers & go. Just—be careful."

Duke studied the man, who was starting to look a little better. He went back to the other side of the desk & gathered the papers back into the folder.

"Duke," Professor Curtis said, his voice suddenly much stronger. Duke met his eyes. " _Don't let them in."_

Duke nodded, tucking the papers under his shirt, & left the office. Professor Curtis's assistant looked up.

"You should call 911. Professor had some sort of episode in there."

"Oh no!" Julie made a beeline for his office, pulling out her cell phone. Duke left the office. _Professor Poulin. Guess you're my next interview, if I can find you._

* * *

 _Mallory was right, this heat is something else,_ Wildwing thought, pulling at the neck of his jersey in an attempt to get some air flow through. They were three-quarters of the way through the parade route & nothing unusual had happened. As Phil had predicted, all they had to do was smile & wave, & the crowd at both sides of the street would go wild, cheering & clapping. Wildwing kept looking around, trying to keep an eye out for trouble, but the crowds were densely packed, making it hard to gauge.

"Hey Wing!" Dive shouted above the noise.

"What? What is it?" Wildwing shouted back, turning back towards him.

"CATCH!" Wildwing automatically put his hands up, only to have a water balloon hit them & explode. Normally he'd be irritated, but the cool water felt too good.

"Who even gave you that?"

"One of the life guards from the pool float," Nosedive said, laughing. Wildwing grabbed him around the neck, pulling him in for a noogie to the head. "See? Isn't it more fun to be out here than brooding in the Pond?"

"Still seems like a waste of our time," Wildwing replied. The back of his neck suddenly prickled, as if someone was watching him. He quickly looked around, but nothing stood out.

"What's up? Is your Spidey-Sense tingling?" Nosedive asked. Wildwing looked around again before starting to walk again. He noticed a tall, thin man on the right, wearing a rumpled, stained suit & holding up a sign. Their eyes met & the man nodded slowly, pointing to the slogan on his sign.

"'Repent, Sinners! The Abyss Awakens'? What's up with that?" Wildwing asked Tanya.

"Oh, probably just some religious slogan. These earthlings have some interesting beliefs.

Wildwing shrugged & kept walking, dismissing it. They were nearly at Eucalyptus Park. He was covered in sweat & his shoes felt like that had melted onto his feet. From the look of the others, they felt just as miserable. _Shade, & a gallon of ice water. Right now. _A group of little girls in Scout uniforms ran up to them as they entered the park.

"You're them! The Mighty Ducks!" one of them chirped. She had blonde hair in pigtails & big blue eyes. She looked up shyly at Mallory. "You're my FAVORITE!" Mallory chuckled & knelt down to be on the same level as the girl.

"I love your shirt. Purple's my favorite color. What grade are you in?"

"I'll be in third grade this fall. I take karate, cuz I wanna kick butt just like you. Hi-YAAAH!" The girl jumped into a fighting stance but tripped. Mallory caught her by the hand & quickly righted her.

"IVY! Ivy Eileen, get back here right now!" A frazzled looking woman who resembled the girl came running up. "We need to get in line for the food!" Mallory's smiled faded a little.

"Well, keep on practicing, Ivy. Earth needs people just like you," she said. Ivy grinned & waved, then she & the troupe followed her mother.

"You OK, Mal?" Wildwing asked, seeing Mallory's downcast eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. She shook her head. "Just got a little homesick." Tanya patted her on the shoulder.

"We'll get back there someday. The sub is ready for a test dive & if we can find the Raptor's wreckage, I can get a scan of the gateway generator."

"Do you really think you can recreate one?" Mallory asked as they made their way to the food line.

"All I can do is t-t-try."

None of them had much of an appetite, but they loaded up their plates & headed for the shade. Mallory picked through the various salads she had taken portions of before finally giving up & dumping her plate in a trash can. She walked by the picnic table they had taken over, heading towards the small pond instead, flopping down on its bank with a sigh. She leaned back on her elbows, closing her eyes. After a few minutes, she felt a shadow between her & the sun. She opened her eyes a slit.

"Hey Wildwing," she said. He took a seat next to her.

"You doing OK? You barely ate anything."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just way too hot out," she replied. After a moment, she added, "Do you ever wonder about how they're doing on Puckworld now?"

"Sometimes. Mostly I focus on getting back there."

"You have any other family there?" she asked. Wildwing grimaced a little.

"No, not that I know of. My mom died in the Invasion, she had me pretty young & her family wasn't happy about it, so I never got know them. Dad ditched us after Dive was born. You?" Mallory shrugged.

"What does it matter? They're all gone. Well . . . one of my cousins might have made it, but the odds weren't in her favor. Otherwise." She shrugged again.

"I will get us back there, Mal. I promise," Wildwing said, squeezing her shoulder & looking fierce. Mallory patted his hand, trying to conjure up a smile. Anymore, all she could see for the future was more years stretching out on Earth, far away from everything that meant something to her. Suddenly, she spotted something odd beyond Wildwing's shoulder.

"Why is Grin talking to a—raven?" she said. Wildwing turned & gaped.

A raven was perched on Grin's wrist as he offered it a piece of bratwurst. It tilted its head to the side.

" _Quork,_ " it said, seeming to meet Grin's eyes. It was bigger than Mallory would've thought, about the size of a red-tailed hawk. Its bill was long & hooked like a Raptrin's.

"Cuh-huh-c-careful Grin," Tanya said. "That bill could do some d-d-d-amage if it got startled."

"Animals like me," Grin replied, smiling a little. Suddenly, with a flap of its wings, it jumped off Grin's wrist. It landed on the ground & began moving forward with a funny two-footed hopping gait. It stopped at the feet of a tall, thin man. Wildwing started a little, recognizing the man who had held the sign on the street.

"I've been looking for you," the man said. "Did he tell you about them?"

"Uh, about who?" Wildwing said, puzzled.

"The ones beyond the veil. They're on their way. He knows how to stop them," he said.

"You're not making any sense," Tanya said. "That's just a wild bird."

"No. He's not merely _Corvus_ _corax_ , the common raven. He is Huginn. Memory."

"Is that his name?" Grin asked. The man shook his head.

"It's what he is. One of Odin's birds. Thought & Memory. Sent out to fly all over the world & keep him informed." Nosedive caught Wildwing's eye from behind the man & made a "He's crazy" gesture. "He knows everything that has ever happened, but he hasn't been able to tell me."

"DAD!" They all jumped at the sound of a young woman yelling. She pushed past them & walked up to the man.

"Where have you been? We've been worried sick since the hospital told us you got out!"

"Needed to tell them. Needed to warn them," the man said. He allowed the young woman to take his arm & begin leading him away. "Look for Muninn, Thought. Then Huginn will be able to tell you."

"Tell us what?" Mallory demanded.

"How to stop the Shadows," the man replied. He reached into his pocket & took out a business card, handing it to Wildwing. "I wish you luck. We'll all need it."

Wildwing read the text on the card. _Richard Poulin, Professor of Religious Studies, Anaheim University._ Out loud, he said, "Didn't Duke mention something about a professor he was going to try to meet today?"

"I think so, but he didn't seem to think it was a very good lead," Tanya replied.

"Hmm. Let's get back to the Pond. Maybe he'll have something for us tonight."

 _Author's note: If you want to imagine that Duke disguising his voice as a mailman sounds like Clay Bailey from Xiaolin Showdown (also voiced by Jeff Bennett), I won't stop you :-) hope you enjoyed this!_


End file.
